


Turn It Off

by mariette



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bucky Barnes Feels, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Therapy, sort of angst i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-26
Updated: 2014-04-26
Packaged: 2018-01-20 21:59:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1527215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariette/pseuds/mariette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky's nightmares are more frequent and they're getting worse. Steve has an idea of how to help him through it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turn It Off

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a post on tumblr about therapy dogs and then this happened. I also didn't edit it that much so all mistakes are mine.  
> Title is a song by Paramore.

It was pitch black. The wind was rustling the trees around him and there was blood. A lot of blood. He stood around piles of bodies. Faces of strangers plastered on the cold, dead and mangled people. Red and blackish liquid pooled around his feet. At first he felt nothing. Then he felt fear. It came all at once. He stopped breathing. The smell became over whelming. He let out a whimper and then another and another until he was finally crying. His knees hit the soft earth and his hand covered his mouth. Had he done this? Were all these people dead because of him? His eyes fell on his metal arm that was drenched in blood. Yes. It seems as though that’s what had happened. He didn’t remember killing these people. Why did he do it? The question he asked himself suddenly replaced his fear with rage. He let his arms fall to his side as his fingers curled in to make a fist. He screamed and hit the ground with his fists. Again he hit it and again and again and again.

“Bucky!” he heard. He wasn’t paying attention. Just kept hitting the ground.

“Bucky! Come on!” he snapped out of it. His eyes darted around the room as he tried to recollect himself. He wasn’t surrounded by dead bodies. No. He was in lying in bed next to Steve. A faint glow from the window poured in so he could see the outline of Steve’s face. Bucky was still shaking and it was hard for him to keep from crying.

“Shh. It’s alright. You’re safe,” Steve soothed Bucky. His soft hand pushing away brown curls from a sweaty face. The brunette began paying close attention to keeping his anxiety at bay. Once the shaking subsided he finally let himself breathe. “There you go,” Steve smiled ever so slightly.

“You going to be alright?” Steve asked still stroking Bucky’s face.

“Probably not,” a hoarse voice replied. 

“Well, I’m going to be right here until you are,” he said. Bucky only nodded. He appreciated what Steve was doing for him. He knew there was only so much that could be done but his friend being there sometimes wasn’t enough. The nightmares weren’t ending and they started to actually take over his emotions on some occasions.

“I want them to stop,” he sighed. Bucky turned onto his side and buried his face into Steve’s chest. “I just want it to end,” sobs escaped his mouth even though he did his best to keep them in. Arms wrapped around him and tightened.

“We’ll find a way, Buck. We’ll find a way,” Steve kissed the top of his head and traced circles on his back until he calmed down once again.

* * *

Steve went out for his run hours ago and he still wasn’t back. Bucky would be lying if he’d said he wasn’t a little worried but he wasn’t about to go out and look for him. He passed his time by reading and listening to Jimmy Dorsey. The days he decided to stay inside (which have been a lot less frequent lately) were always relaxing. He could pretend for a little while that he wasn’t as fucked up as he was. He could pretend that he never killed all those people in the war or as The Winter Soldier. He could just be the stupid kid from Brooklyn who had big dreams for himself.

He did do those things though. He knew full well that he did. Couldn’t remember exactly what he did but he did them nonetheless. This is what Bucky didn’t like about being home alone. It was too easy for him to access his mind. Get caught up in things that would only put him in a terrible mood. He tried to shake himself out of it by getting up and making something. Soup seemed sufficient enough. There was a clean pot next to the sink. He opened the can of chicken noodle soup and dumped it into the pot. Bucky stood there and stirred the liquid. It mesmerized him and gave his mind somewhere else to go. The smell of the soup gave him a warm feeling that brought a smile to his face. When it was done he grabbed himself a bowl and poured the entirety of the pot into it. He was about to sit down and eat when the phone rang. A long sigh escaped his mouth before he answered it.

“Hello?” he asked a little annoyed.

“Come outside,” the voice on the other end said. He recognized it immediately.

“Why?” he asked confused.

“Would you just come downstairs,” Steve replied.

“I’m eating,” he complained.

“Seriously? Just come outside!” the blonde said. Bucky groaned and hung up. He marched out the door and down the stairs.

“What so important, Ste-“ Bucky stopped as soon as he saw the golden retriever sitting politely next to the captain. Steve had the brightest smile on his face. He tugged on the leash and had the dog follow him over to the brunette.

“That’s a dog,” was all Bucky could say.

“Mhm,”

“Why did you get a dog?”

“It’s a special dog,”

“Why’s it so special?” Bucky asked raising an eyebrow.

“He’s a therapy dog. Helps with all the nightmares. Figured you could use somebody when I’m not around. Or when I am around since sometimes I’m not the most helpful,” Steve explained. Bucky never took his eyes off the dog. Its tail wagging like crazy but it stood with patience.

“What if I don’t want the dog?” he asked.

“I know you want the dog. You’ve always wanted a dog,” Steve shot back at him. He smiled. He has always wanted a dog.

“You know a normal dog would have done just fine for me,” Bucky finally looking up at Steve with a heart stopping grin.

“Can you just appreciate what I just did for you?” Steve questioned beginning to get annoyed. Bucky laughed. He actually laughed. It took Steve a little off guard.

“Of course, doll face! Thank you,” he pulled Steve in for a hug when he pulled back he looked down at the dog.

“It got a name?” he asked. Steve nodded his head.

“Renley,” he replied. Bucky bent down at eye level with the dog.

“Hey Renley,” he scratched the dogs ears. He licked Bucky’s face in retaliation. The brunette looked back up at Steve with that award winning smile still there.

“I like him,” he said.

“Figured you would,” Steve handed Bucky the leash. “You take him inside the house and I’ll go get his food and everything else,”

Bucky nodded and began to move. The dog did not run ahead of him and it did not fall behind. Instead, he stood right next to him and looked forward.

“You’re a little soldier aren’t you?” Bucky asked. He watched the dog mesmerized by it. “I think you and I will get along just fine,” he patted the top of the dog’s head.


End file.
